Have you ever noticed how real life people remind you of those charecters in fiction or mythology, or books or movies or video games?I mean,well,it is the looks too, but then it is not so much the looks as the aura about them.


I was crazy about Nancy Drew books when I was around eight. By the time I was nine I had read all the hard bound books, and used to stealthily tiptoe to my sisters room to read "Nancy Drew files".(Which was supposed to be a more grown-up version, with some more smoochy scenes). I had conjured an image of Nancy,Bess and George. Nancy was , in my mind, slightly blonde(although the book says she was "titian haired") , lean-but-not-todays-definition-of-"Hot", with a slightly freckled face.


It just struck me !! Well, I have known this person for like 7 months now.And we have been really good buddies, and spend a lot of time bitching, laughing,discussing,learning from each other and pulling each others legs.It is really funny how suddenly you see someone you've known for so long in a totally different light.Today, as K sat accross the desk from me, It all fell in place.She was the image of Nancy Drew that I had in my mind.Yeah, she doesnt have a dashing, TDH Ned by her side, but the then small town River Heights bred Nancy and this mid-western girl- BINGO !!!!


Oh, that leads us to another story.The story of how I found Mr.Ned Nickerson look alike in real life. It was my ninth standard.Life was simple and fun. And me and M and a couple of my other friends used to lunch together, by the shade of a big tree, watching squirrels nibble at a stray rice chunk or a rajma bean.And then this junior guy walked by. He was tall, not too macho, and pitch dark complexion.Something about his demeanor reminded me of Ned Nickerson.Me and M turned towards each other and shouted in unison "Hey, he is Ned!!!". Thereafter he would be Ned, in our minds alteast. The fact that we knew his real name later and hear even more of his exploits through the school grapevine didnt help. He is still Ned to us.


Hmm, now that we are on the subject,Have you heard the biblical story of Jacques, the simple, hardworking old shoemaker of Marseilles who wanted to see God?(If not you can read it here).Well, it was those Trichy evenings when you were tired and dust smeared from playing a combination of street-cricket,shuttle and foot volley.Sitting on the parapet, a group of us would debate on which is the best way to irritate the obnoxious peeping-tom next door a la famous five.And then we would hear it. A rythmic "Ting-Tong" would herald the arrival of a rickety old wooden cart.


It was almost as if it was a picture perfect canvas titled "The sweetmeat vendor of a small Indian city" -A rolled big plastic bag containing dirty white crisp pori(puffed rice),an old rusted ancient vessel "temperature controlled" with a thick layer of mud in which the brown peanuts were tossed around until it was just beyond tender.He would then separate the mud from the peanuts, with an equally rusty seive. The man himself,well, age had withered him,leaving him slightly hunchbacked.The contours on his oily skin was only matched by a telltale hole on both cheeks caused by intermittent absences in the molar area. Thick spectacles, were held in place by very old, almost brown thick threads that threatened to give in any moment. He would smile broadly at us, and say "Pori, kadala yellam jora erukkum papa" and give us "samples" to taste-everyday.My fertile imagination would conjure up images of him living in a small,dimly-lit one room place huddling his rags together to brave the cold.(Well,"cold" and trichy??)In my mind, he was the simple, benelovent Jacques.


Hmm, are all fictitious characters designed to make you relate them to people - past,present or future?Or is it just a treat to my already overworked imagination to "match" reality and imagination?? GOK !!
Well, as they say, what goes around, comes back.(Ok, I dont know what it really says.. I made it up!!!).


The start of the spring quarter has thankfully heralded a major re-arrangement and cleaning session at my home.Scrubbing, cleaning and emptying the smelly trash makes you take a philosophical look at life itself.It is a grave situation you are fraught with, one minute you rush in with shoes to your bedroom to pick up a paper for submission 10 mins away, your roomie comes out of the bath dripping wet,and the next thing you know(Ok, 3 months of living in shambleland) you are mopping black floors in a desperate attempt to pass inspection. Yeah, talk about karma!!!


So Anyways,as I was trying to make sense out of some thousand printouts,handouts,lecture notes, hastily scribbled assignments, "notebook chats" in tamil,hindi,english,half-working codes, and ccp-ed surveys,I came accross this poem.


A little introduction into the history of this poem would now be in order. There was this time, in my first quarter, when we used to have a big seminar filled with people. Well, the perils of ECECS seminar have been well blogged in Fall, so I am sure you dont wanna hear all about some profs eyesight or how we played cows and bulls.So, as we were taking a break from tic-tac-toe, one of us came up with an innovative poety writing contest (about this very old lady professor), between me and Ash, the time limit being one minute.


Here is my entry for that contest, One find in my spring cleaning endeavors:


"Algos!!" , "Stats!!"- she is an old hag,

Carrying an out of style pink bag,

That houses a 1870 "Vogue" mag

In whose weight her shoulders sag.


Paati, Oh my dear !

Death beckons you not, dont you fear;

But why the monologue with the weekend near

Oh! Is that a Base-Theorem lullaby I hear ?


Hubby dear awaits you in his car,

And I'd rather go to the coffee-hour,

And dip my hand into the delicious cookie jar

But Ash here would rather go watch gals in a Bar !!

Interrupted by someone's watch beeping a Friday evening 5 O clock, we stood up to go.But alas, my Miss.Destiny has other ideas.Starting 9 : 30 AM tommorow, and I am going to find myself sitting in one of her classes - for an entire quarter !!!!





Hmm !!! Does one good deed deserve another ??

A Short History of Medicine

One of those real good ones u come accross in the net :

"Doctor, I have an earache."

2000 BC: "Here, eat this root."
1000 BC: "That root is heathen. Say this prayer."
1850 AD: "That prayer is superstition. Drink this potion."
1940 AD: "That potion is snake oil. Swallow this pill."
1985 AD: "That pill is ineffective. Take this antibiotic."
2000 AD: "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root."

The perfect match

People said it was a perfect match.

The two were thrilled to get there. It wasnt a first rush,impetuous thing. I was a part of an ongoing,gradual process of tuning into each other.

Expectations? Well, they knew right from the start that it was an uphill,daunting task.But irrespective of the outcome, they deserved being where they were, and were going to enjoy it while it lasted.

It was two years ago.March 23,2003. India met Australia in the WC finals.Perfect match.Outcome-not favorable. The experience - worth a lifetime. Could India have done any better to win the match?Did they get overwhelmed? Was it because it was the first time for most people in the team? Would it have been a different outcome if they played anyone else?Will India ever get to a WC finals again?Too many questions.No right answers.

Well, you know what they say , it is not the destination.It is the journey.
Itz 4 o clock on a Friday evening.And I am just waiting for 5, after a hectic day at work. After a cheesecake and pizza worklunch at office, the mood is relaxed.And,I just found the cutest thing - Play-Doh !!!!!

"Oh.. look at the smile on her face"
"Thats cuteeee"

Now,they are thrilled to see someone so taken with these play things, that they want to take me to toys-R-us !!!(Thats right, when you are the youngest in the workplace, you have to deal with some pampering !!!)

So anywayz,for once, I dont have shitloads of assignments and tests to catch up on, no advisor meetings to worry about.. coz its not just any Friday, Itz the SPRING BREAK !!!!!!!!

Bye Bye Winter 2005 !!!!


Thank God !!! The quarter is over !!!


There is just too much to write about, and I really dont know where to start from.Hmm..playing host @ cincy followed by a whole week away at home in Maryland should do me a world of good - Yup, I am lucky I have an R&R spot in the US - bubble baths,reading up, lazing around in pyjamas, and dining out !!!! I am sooo looking forward !!!

And... hopefully a lot of blogging too!!!

Heartbroken....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!


This is not happening !!!

I am still in denial !!!!!


Heartbroken,
Me
The last week has probably been one of the worst of all times.But yes, I dont regret one bit the marathon nite-outs and the mad,all-out rushes to meet submission and demo deadlines. Last March, was one of my best months ever, as was, come to think of it, the year before.Well, infact, this is my first March after 4 years without APOGEE.It has left behind a huge void in me.Luckily my crazy gradschool life has ensured I didnt have too much time to miss my department. Until today.I cant believe, when I got done with my final submission for this week at 5 today, I actually felt very apprehensive about not having neck-wringing deadlines , for the rest of this week atleast.Well,thanks gradschool, trying to ensure that I dont have the time to have a life.Or alteast crib about the lack of one.

So anyway, last March, was the best time ever.Hmm, those months and months of shopping for dresses,accessories,planning the wedding,those last minute hitches,the relatives, the glare, the cold feet, the high of welcoming a new member into the family, those cards sessions with cousins,the laughter, the fun, the excitement , the tiresomeness,those oldies tips on "doing it" :) .


Yes, thats a very chocolate-and-roses way of looking at life in general.But, Well, the one thing is brought home to me, is the shallowness of it all, and how utterly materialistic and phony the Tam-Bram society is. Yes, its all about who gets invited and who doesnt , its about who has a Merc E class and who doesnt, how many members of your family is in the US, how many stamps your passport has, what is the resolution of your camcorder, who sings at your reception, and how many items the menu had.Its about politics, settling old family scores, creating new ones, an utterly shamless waste of money, that shouts, "Look how well we have done for ourselves".

I mean, its utterly foolish to see a hard working middle class families, where one or both parents earn all their lives, saving up those precious rupees, investing wisely, spending laks and laks of money, inviting some third or fourth cousin from yesteryears you've hardly been in touch with.And the amount of food that gets wasted, the time and energy spent in organising it.. is it even worth it ?

I mean, in the end, marriage is supposed to be about the guy and the girl concerned.In this setup, it is everything BUT that.

So, forgetting the procedure as an external triviality, lets talk about the happy couple.Well, I have seen a whole range of them , from "I ll never see your face again" to "How did I even live without you all these years".And wow, they have been married for a year now !!!Time sure does fly !!!!

Happy First Wedding anniversary... Sis and Jeeju !!!

Hmm.. So now that its March 10.March has a lot of special dates.And, it just struck me, my anniversary isnt too far either.Sometimes I cant wait to post a special to mark this occasion.But again, I am such a bad writer when it comes to writing about myself.So I guess I am gonna wish myself a happy anniversary much before schedule.Blogging Anniversary, I meant , of course !!!

Happy Womens day!!

I am half-dead. So much so that I first typed out this post in camelinthedesert !!! ROFL !!

Yesterday : I look at myself in the mirror after a long time. What ? I mean , I had no illusions about my looks, but they way I look currently really puts dracula to shame.

What followed, was some effort increase my feel-good factor.Wore a kurtha,changed earrings, put on some lipstick, and best of all, wore some bangles !!!!

Now, as it turned out, the clinking of the bangles against the keyboard strangely didnt annoy me yesterday, and the sound infact kept me company in those god-forsaken place called grad lab, and most importantly kept me awake !!!!!

Though I dont possess many aspects of ,or rather what is widely stereotyped as the notion of "Girly", I am inordinately proud and happy being a woman !!! I wish I had more time to worry about my skin-tone or dark circles.. Nevertheless...We women rock !!!! HAPPY WOMENS DAY !!!
Its 3 o Clock. And the most surpising thing happened.

I dont know if I should feel relieved, or happy.I guess I have reached a point where it doesnt matter anymore.I dont care.

Ha!! back to work.

Happy Birthday Yahoo !!!!


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Life would have been much different without my 7-year old mail account, or the indispensable messenger,my photo album, or the thousand groups I subscribe to.Thanks Yahoo!!!!!(And oh, for sponsoring Cyberfiesta 2004  too!!!)



When you are expected to work 25 hours a day, there is little you think about other than sleep and food.I'd be lucky if I am alive by the end of next week.These days,contact with the outside world is limited to those rare calls, usually averaging less than two minutes,sorta like sending beacon signals.(What ??)Or to schedule wake-up calls.I am getting back, to my life of simulations and coding now. Ever wonder why UNIX has a header called curses.h ?